Boats (POWER)

It’s been a long time coming but we now see tangible progress emerging to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. If the U.S. Navy can prove that it works, isn’t it about time the concept of the modern cruising boat includes hybrid forms of propulsion?

Inspired from comments made from last week’s post, let’s discuss helm seat options. There is no one solution for comfortable and safe seating at the helm on all boats. It is something designers and builders used to ignore. Today it gets the attention it deserves.

Notice the helm seating when you go to the upcoming boat shows. And can you get around it once it is in position?

When you dream of the perfect boat for all the cruising dreams you want to do now, stop thinking you need a battleship. Take a chill pill and read about a couple who went way beyond the cruising plans of most anyone wanting to liveaboard and see the world.

Installing these MTU engines is not your everyday boat yard scene, so everyone came to watch it happen. Rent a crane, hire some professionals to oversee the operation, and we're done by lunchtime. Of course, hooking it all together takes weeks.

So many boats consume a gallon of diesel to travel one nautical mile, but how do you care to make that happen? Slow and economical or a quick trip. For a number of boats with similar performance, it comes down to how you care to burn it.

Brian Calvert is still enjoying life in the Philippines aboard his Selene trawler, Further. His adventures continue, but after so many miles and eight years of wandering adventure, it's time to take care of business on the boat and its systems. His experience is worth reading as you plan your own passage to paradise.

The story of how an unlucky sportfishing yacht gets a new start as it is completely restored by talented and dedicated boat builders. Such a project takes vision and a whole lot of gumption. Thankfully John Patnovic and his team at Worton Creek Marina have both.

Boats and their owners are in a kind of relationship where each takes care of the other. You can't assume it to be otherwise. There are the exceptions, however, such as the Westsail sailboat in The Perfect Storm that was later found in good condition on a beach after being abandoned by its crew. But those are not the norm.

The final look at a most interesting passagemaker, the FPB-781 Cochise. The Dashews spared nothing to make this an ultimate voyaging motorboat, and it bristles with new ideas and clever solutions. This final Part 3 looks at the boat's engine room. Hopefully you'll see something that works for you.

With so many choices out there, it is easy to get into more boat than you need, or even the wrong boat entirely. It is best to identify what your needs really are and search for a cruising boat that best matches that mission statement.

In this final piece on the Adventure Series, Scott and Mary wrap up their discussion of this very different kind of cruising motorboat, specially designed to voyage in higher latitudes. Hopefully someone will step forward to take this design into production, and the rest of us can witness the dawn of a new concept of adventure boating.

Scott and Mary Flanders continue discussing their ideas for a new design for adventure cruising. The boat is intentionally kept simple for ease of maintenance, but offers the speed and seakeeping qualities to make fast passages possible. Less is more on the Lightspeed 41.

In this third article of the new Adventure Series motorboat, Scott Flanders walks through some of the features and design elements that came up from a meeting with his builder, a naval architect, and Bill Parlatore. The rough edges softened into more specific design spiral elements, and the design continued to evolve.

The scene around Annapolis is crazy when it is boat show season. Every serious boater comes to town for one of the shows and we celebrate boating on a scale that is almost overwhelming. Friends, old and new, share stories, food, and wine. This is what cruising is all about.

It is my favorite time of year, and I wish I could share it with everyone I know.

What exactly is a trawler? We begin a new series to help people select the right boat for their cruising agenda. Times have changes since the trawler-style boat could be readily identified by a hull shape and gleaming teak brightwork. Today it is a metaphor for the lifestyle.

Every so often something upsets the apple cart and created a new market for a product or service. It is called Disruptive Innovation. The cruising community is ripe for something new and different, something that challenges the status quo of big, expensive cruising boats that don't fit a more enlightened approach to sustainable cruising.

Featured Articles

It’s been a long time coming but we now see tangible progress emerging to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. If the U.S. Navy can prove that it works, isn’t it about time the concept of the modern cruising boat includes hybrid forms of propulsion?

The end of the year is time to renew subscriptions and replace older apps with new ones. New technology and improved functionality promise a safer, faster, and easier user experience. In this case it is from Navionics, a Garmin Company. And General Motors.

The fear and mystery about sea monsters and rogue waves goes back to the early seafarers. With much improved technology, computers, and satellites, we know much more about this phenomemun today…and they are much more common than previously believed.

Susie Goodall had a really close call, but she is safe after losing her Rustler 36 in the Southern Ocean. The 29-year-old was knocked unconscious when her boat pitchpoled end over end in rough seas and high winds.

If you are an “experienced” cruiser (aka old person) you probably remember the days of Selective Availability (SA) and intentionally reduced GPS accuracy. The military only let us know our location within 100 meters. This continued for years, despite ongoing pleas from the FAA and USCG to provide everyone with the accuracy available from the GPS satellite system.

It took a jetliner being shot down to turn off this reduced-accuracy SA.

Today we could not live without accurate GPS information. At home, on the road, and on the water.